North Charleston, SC – A South Carolina couple has been sentenced for a deadly ambush in which they followed a group of men who had just cashed their checks, opened fire into their vehicle and killed one of them, all while their two infants sat inside their own car.
A Charleston County jury convicted 23-year-old Jaimen Tisdale of murder, attempted armed robbery and multiple related charges for the killing of 25-year-old Miqueas Lopez. Prosecutors said Tisdale carried out a planned attack, believing the victims would not fight back or report the crime. His girlfriend, 24-year-old Mariah McAteer, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and child-endangerment charges for her role.
Tisdale received 55 years in prison. McAteer’s sentencing is pending.
How the Deadly Encounter Began
According to the Charleston County Solicitor’s Office, Tisdale and McAteer parked outside a convenience store on July 13, 2023, watching as Lopez and three coworkers cashed their checks after a day spent installing electrical equipment at a local school. The couple waited with their infants inside the car, then began trailing the group once the men pulled away.
The suspects stayed behind Lopez, his brother and their cousin for more than ten minutes, following them through North Charleston as they dropped off another coworker.
Surveillance Footage Captured the Attack
Prosecutors said the couple seized their opportunity once the victims pulled over near a residence. Tisdale stepped out, armed with an AR-15 rifle, and ran directly to the driver’s side window where Lopez sat. Surveillance video later showed Tisdale pointing the rifle into the car and firing.
Lopez attempted to drive off but suffered a close-range gunshot wound to the head, killing him. His brother and cousin were not physically injured.
Street camera footage allowed law enforcement to quickly identify and track the suspects before taking them into custody.
Prosecutors Call It a “Targeted Act of Depravity”
During the trial, Assistant Solicitor Jordan Norvell told jurors that Tisdale intentionally hunted the victims because he believed they were easy targets.
In court, he said Tisdale acted because “he thought they were weaker than him, they were vulnerable and that they wouldn’t report him.”
Tisdale’s defense argued he believed the victims were suspicious and that the rifle discharged accidentally. Jurors rejected that claim, returning guilty verdicts on all major charges.
Assistant Solicitor Cassity Brewer described the crime as “a targeted act of depravity that resulted in the loss of an innocent life.”
Role of the Girlfriend and the Presence of Children
McAteer pleaded guilty to accessory charges for helping Tisdale flee and for allowing their two young children to be present during the violent confrontation. Authorities emphasized the severe danger the infants faced as the rifle was fired only feet away.
Prosecutors said both adults knowingly placed the children in harm’s way while attempting an armed robbery motivated by the victims’ freshly cashed wages.
Community Impact and Ongoing Sentencing
The case has shaken parts of North Charleston, where residents continue to express concern about crimes involving high-powered weapons and incidents committed in front of children. Prosecutors said the lengthy prison term reflects the severity of the shooting and the deliberate nature of the crime.
McAteer will be sentenced separately based on her guilty plea. Tisdale will serve his sentence in state prison.
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Cases like this raise difficult questions about violent crime, accountability and child endangerment.
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